Top 10 Museums of Science and Natural History

The most popular museums of science and natural history in the world range from world-class institutions across Europe to the U.S. With exhibits ranging from dinosaur fossils to immersive science activities, the best museums explore the relationship of different life forms with each other and our planet.

The top 10 most visited museums are ranked by the travel app Visited, which allows travelers to mark off places they’ve been. You can scratch off where you’ve gone, see your personal travel stats, discover new destinations, set travel goals, and get a printed custom map of your travels using the Visited app.

Here are the top 10 most visited museums of science and natural history according to Visited:

Natural History Museum in London, England, is the most visited natural history museum in the world. The iconic museum features expansive exhibits exploring 4.6 billion years of Earth’s history. The museum’s interactive exhibits include a dinosaur section and tickets are free.

American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., includes a planetarium, exhibits on the animal, plant, geographic, and planetary sciences, and the famed dinosaur halls with assembled fossils from species including the triceratops, stegosaurus, and more.

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in the U.S. capital of Washington, DC, exhibits billions of years of the Earth’s history and has a butterfly hall, dinosaur exhibit, and human origins exhibit.

Science Museum London offers free admission, award-winning exhibitions, IMAX screenings, and interactive exhibits. The museum is located on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, London, England.
The National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., U.S., has the world’s largest and most significant collection of space and aviation artifacts and offers free entry.

6. Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano is a natural history museum in Milan, Italy. The museum includes five permanent sections and Italy’s largest collection of full-size dioramas for interactive learning.

7. Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago is the largest science center in the Western Hemisphere, located in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Exhibits cover everything from genetics to ships and trains throughout history.

8. Deutsches Museum in Munich, Germany, is the world’s largest museum of science and technology, with a wide range of interactive exhibits for all ages, on topics ranging from mining to agriculture and food.

9. Museum of Science is a science museum and indoor zoo with extensive interactive exhibits located in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.

10. NEMO Science Museum is a science center in Amsterdam, Netherlands, with five floors of exhibits on topics ranging from planetary science to humankind.

Have you been to any of the top museums of science and natural history? Mark off where you’ve traveled, browse more top 10 lists, and get a custom map of your travels using the Visited travel app. Download Visited for free on iOS or Android.